


An Unfortunate Death

by Pastel_Teacups



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 19:36:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastel_Teacups/pseuds/Pastel_Teacups
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pavel Chekov is killed during the events of STID</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unfortunate Death

It had never occurred to Jim that this may happen. 

The kid was so bright, so bubbly, it seemed impossible that he would die. Like his kindness made him invincible. 

He remembers, just vaguely, when he was a boy, and his grandpa lifted him up onto his lap and bounced his knee, making him giggle and hold onto his old shirt. Then one day, his grandfather was reading a paper and shook his head at the death of a little girl. 

“You see, James? The good always die young.” He’d said. Jim never really took it to heart, but he supposed he should have. 

So now, it was all his fault. The kid died, impaled by a piece of equipment that had come off of his own ship. By the time Bones got to him, it had been far too late, and Leonard had only seen a flash of life in those blue-green eyes of his, and then it was gone. 

In that moment, he may have said the boy looked like he had some form of excitement in his eyes, almost. As if space had just been one of his adventures, and now death was his next. 

It terrified him. Nobody should be that ready, that prepared, to die. Leonard knew that the kid was terrified, but it seemed that after an hour of pain he was ready. He inwardly pondered this, and asked himself if everybody felt like that after what must feel like an eternity of pain and waiting. 

He’d managed to extract the jagged piece of starship, though. The crew would want a proper funeral. Hell, even he wanted a proper funeral for the kid. And a funeral they would have. He had to make the kid look decent, after all.  
\--  
Everybody had been saddened the moment Pavel Chekov was declared dead by one tortured Southern doctor and two terribly sorry nurses, but the funeral was so much worse. 

The boy had written a will, and Bones was once again reminded by how easy it was to lose a life in a job like this. He was also reminded that a seventeen year old kid should never, ever, have to write a will. 

His money was left to Starfleet, with a tack that said that one day there should be a gifted children program, to prepare them for interplanetary travel when they’re older. Everything else went to his parents. 

That was all. It was a short will. He supposed the kid thought he would have more time to polish it. 

Pavel’s parents were the only form of biological family to have come. They sat at the mostly-bare row of black chairs opposite the crew, talking quietly to themselves in Russian. After a while, they went to the open casket together, and the mother wept and held her husband’s hand tightly. 

After a long while, the crew forced themselves up, one by one. First came Sulu, who knew him best, and who looked worn and exhausted. He’d clearly been losing sleep over his friend’s current deceased predicament. 

He spoke in a soft voice for a while, too soft for anybody to decipher his words, and then he set a tiny red flower on his casket. He doesn’t leave it in with the body; it would only wilt and die. 

Next came Jim, whose face was downcast. He didn’t belong in funerals. Bones had a feeling he hated them, more than Leonard himself could know. He just looked at the boy’s face for a moment, shook his head, and then turned back to his seat. 

Uhura didn’t go up. She was crying into Sulu’s shoulder, who looked like he was trying not to cry himself. But he wrapped a comforting arm around her, and let her wet the suit he’d rented with her tears. 

Scotty gets up before Bones, and frankly, he’s not sorry he put it off long enough for the Scotsman to huff out a sad sigh and stand. He walks towards the casket with purpose, silently sets a pair of goggles in the casket, and then move back to his seat. Then, Bones finally forces himself to stand. He doesn’t have anything of consequence for the boy’s journey six feet under, so he shoves his hands in his pocket and looks the kid over. 

He looks as if he could be asleep. Like those eyes could shoot open any moment and smile and ask why everybody was so sad. The only thing missing was a beating heart and a rising chest.

He had on a dark suit, and he vaguely realized his tie was the exact color of the Starfleet regulation gold. He wondered if it was a coincidence or not. 

“Hey, kid,” Leonard starts softly, feeling silly, up there talking to no one. “I know we haven’t been that close and all, but I think you were-are-a genius. Look at you. Up there with all the big shots on the newest ship out there. A real shame you had to be an Engineer that day. A damn shame.” 

Leonard isn’t sure why, but he feels tears in his eyes, as if he knew the boy personally. He didn’t. They weren’t even close. The kid came in for a physical, always in perfect health, and then left with a polite smile and wave. He shouldn’t be crying here. 

He didn’t have the right. 

So he didn’t. He wiped his eyes and sat back down, surprised when he saw none other than the green-blooded hobgoblin coming up after him.

He vaguely remembered the fact that Chekov had shadowed not only Scotty but Spock, as well. The two must have become friends, or something of the sort. After all, Pavel could talk linear equations and warp schematics just as much as he could talk about warp schematics or clever equations. 

The Vulcan said nothing, did nothing. He only stood there for a long moment, before sitting back down and looking away.  
\--  
Getting back on the ship is even worse. 

It’d all been rechristened, and the piece that had murdered Pavel had been replaced, new and shiny like everything else on this damned ship. 

Leonard vaguely feels like it’s more of a job now, no longer the party in space Jim had always made it out to be. He could tell even Jim felt more weighed down, but he tried to joke and lighten the mood on the shuttle to the Enterprise. 

Everything falls back into routine after the first few months. Jim smiles a little more every week, and soon enough the whole crew’s feeling better. Even Bones is back to his normal, slightly less grouchy self. Even still, one day in the hall he catches Uhura, composed as can be, walk past Chekov’s old room. He can only see it for a second, the tear that slips down her cheek, and then it’s gone, and she walks past him with a short, brisk nod and a set face. 

Sulu doesn’t get any better.

He starts joking around after a while, but when everyone’s at rest and doing their jobs, and Bones had found an excuse to be on the bridge on a particularly boring day, he catches the man turn to navigator’s seat, with a smile on his face, until he’d remember that the Russian whiz kid was nowhere to be found. His smile would fade into a frown, and then he’d turn away. 

Nearly a year later, when they come back to Earth for a scheduled shore leave, Sulu approaches Bones and Jim in the hangar. He hands him his PADD, and looks down. 

“Captain,” He starts, his voice unstuttering and strong, like it’d always been. “I wish to resign my position as helmsmen aboard the USS Enterprise.” 

Jim stares at him for a long moment, thinking long and hard, before speaking again. 

“Very well, Lieutenant. I accept your resignation.” He sounds official, before he smiles sadly. He doesn’t need to ask why. But he does want to know something else. “Might I ask what you plan on doing after this?” 

The man smiles back just as sadly, and Leonard can see tears brimming in his eyes. “You may,” He starts, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down. “I plan to continue to work with Starfleet, and assist in developing and teaching a program for gifted children, to help prepare them for interplanetary travel once they’re older.” 

Jim knows where he’s heard those words before, and he can’t help but step forward and hug Sulu, tears in the Captain’s own eyes. 

Leonard doesn’t say anything, because it isn’t his place. 

“Best of luck, Lieutenant.” Jim says, stepping away and sniffling, composing himself. He salutes the former helmsman, and the man returns the salute with a smile that’s just a bit happier. He thanks the Captain, and then he turns and leaves.  
\--  
After the shore leave, they go back into the terrifying place that is space, and Bones finds himself at Scotty’s office door after the first few days on board, looking for a drink. The other man warmly welcomes him, less with his words and more with his Scotch. 

He doesn’t quite remember how much he drank that night, or how much Scotty drank, but he knew it was enough to make them talk about the only subject everyone had been trying to avoid. 

“I’m gonna miss that kid.” Scotty admitted, pouring himself another glass of amber liquid. 

Leonard nodded in agreement. “I will, too.” He said. And he really would, even though he knew he didn’t have the right, even though he was absolutely certain that he had no right to be missing the kid he barely knew.

“He was always really bright, he was. Learned everything very fast around here, helped me out quite a bit.” His Scottish accent was slurred, but Leonard could only wonder what his voice sounded like. Before he could even think up a reply, the Scotsman was talking again. 

“I think that’s one of the things I’ll miss most about him. His optimism. That kid wanted to learn. He wanted so badly to just reach out and take in all the knowledge he could.” 

Leonard nods gruffly. “I think I’ll miss. . . his attitude. Not like his work ethic, but like his personality. He was always really nice, even to an old man like me.” 

Scotty nods his head, takes a swig of his drink. “He believed in people. He believed in me. Even in little people. Like, he was always really nice to Keenser, trying to talk to him, and such. Most people don’t give the guy the time of day.

“Yeah, that boy was a nice lad.” Scotty says after a silence. 

“A damn shame,” Leonard agrees.

Scotty’s head falls, and he realizes the man had fallen asleep. 

Leonard drank the rest of his Scotch, and set down his glass. 

“A damn shame.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! Comments/concerns are always welcome!


End file.
